Toddler Gift Ideas

With Christmas right around the corner, you might be looking for some gift ideas. Today I will be sharing toddler gift ideas, so if you have your own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or children of friends, you may want to give this list a look. My boys are currently 2 and 3. (Nathaniel will be 4 in February.) I also have many nieces and nephews, most of whom are toddlers too:). These are not just ideas, but items that my boys actually own and have been tested by time. They play with them constantly, the items are good quality and can withstand rough toddler play and are entertaining enough to be enjoyed for a long time. 

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Radio Flyer Tricycle

We bought this tricycle for Nathaniel when he was about 1 and he and Josh have loved it over the years. We are so pleased with the quality of this tricycle. When the boys were really young, we could push them in the tricycle when their little legs could reach the pedals, and then as they grew older, they can ride it independently. The tricycle also has a nice sized basket in the back to store toys, snack or in our case, their "treasures" - leaves, sticks and pinecones. There is also a few pockets at the top where I place my phone and a water container. It's perfect for family walks and for children to learn how to ride.

Plastic Toy Police Cycle

Josh received this lightweight tricycle as a birthday gift a year ago and we decided to keep it in the house since the boys already had the above tricycle for the outdoors. I can tell you honestly that both of my boys ride it every single day, all day long. If you watch my Instagram stories, you've probably seen them zooming around our house many times in the background of my cooking videos. Before Josh could reach the pedals, he would just propel himself with his feet, and he just zips around with no problem on it. All their little cousins also want to ride it every time they come over. They certainly get a lot of sharing lessons because of this toy:). I love that it's lightweight, not too loud, doesn't scratch our floors and keeps them occupied.

Toy Lawn Mower

This toy has also passed the test of time. We got this for Nathaniel when he was 2, he absolutely loved it and now, 2 years later, both boys still love it and use it. it makes popping sounds when you push it, and the beads inside actually jump around, so the boys were very mesmerized by this at first. There is also a clickable key, a gas can and a movable throttle that also makes noise. This is an absolute delight for kiddos. However, I quickly deemed it an outside toy because of all the noise and the boys don't mind. They like to join their Dad and mow the lawn together:).

Wooden Cart

Josh loves pushing things around, which is why I was on the hunt for some sort of cart for him. I was thrilled to find this super cute cart on Amazon. It quickly became a favorite for both of them. I love that it's so colorful, the quality is great and because it's so sturdy, it's perfect for little ones just learning to walk, who have trouble controlling their speed. The boys love putting their toys and books in the cart and pushing it around the house. (We bought it for 39.99. I have NO idea why it's so much more expensive right now, but maybe you can find something else similar.)

Toy Vacuum Cleaner

Josh recently had a birthday and this was one of his gifts from my sister and brother in law, Milana and Andrey. All the kiddos were so impressed with this vacuum cleaner that actually works. You can turn it on, it has a working suction, whizzing colored balls and they love vacuuming and cleaning up messes. My boys love to play with our real vacuum cleaner, so this was a perfect toy for them.

Magnatiles

My parents got a set of these Magnatiles for each of their grandchildren's households a year ago and they have gotten a lot of use from all of us. It's such a creative, educational toy and is very entertaining too. Our set has a lot of pieces, so the boys build all kinds of things with it. It's something that they can play with together, which is nice. Not only do they build things and then take great pleasure in knocking them down, they also make all sorts of designs with the magnatiles by placing them on our refrigerator and dishwasher. Since they have magnets in them, they stick to the surface and they will play with them on and off all day. Sometimes they cover the entire surface of the fridge and are so excited to show me their creation and then tell me not to take it down. It's really cute. These sets can be somewhat pricey, but my parents found a terrific deal at Marshalls and TJMaxx, so check them out and hopefully you will find a set too.

Kitchen Junior Chef Set

As an avid cook, I enjoy including my boys in the kitchen with me. I think it's a great skill to teach and it's never too early to start. This set has 35 dishwasher safe, BPA-free cooking and baking utensils are included for use in a real kitchen, so the measuring cups are actual measuring cups and so on. The boys love to help me and are learning as they play. There is even a child safe knife included that actually cuts things. I've shown it several times on my Instagram stories. Nathaniel enjoys cutting bananas, strawberries, bread and so on with his green knife. He even stores in a kitchen drawer and takes it out along with a cutting board when he finds something he thinks should be chopped. (Keep a look out for sales for this too. We bought this set at Costco for less than $20)

Melissa and Doug Tow Truck/ Car Loader

This small set is such fun. The boys play with it over and over again and is another one they have a hard time sharing. The favorite part is that the tow truck/car has a magnetic arm, that can actually pick up the other vehicles.

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Activity Road Rug Play Set with 49 Wooden Vehicles and Play Pieces

This is such a fantastic toy. We found it at Costco 2 years ago for under $40, which was such a great deal. I couldn't find it anywhere for that price. The toys are all really great quality. We keep all the wooden vehicles, buildings and road signs in a basket and the activity rug in our playroom. It really gets their imaginations going, they "build their city", come up with all kinds of stories, place the buildings all around the rug, drive the vehicles on the roads or line them up on the parking spots. The vehicles are also great to play with on their own, or to bring along to church, to play with on car rides or in the grocery cart.

Little Backpack

Not only is this backpack perfect to bring an extra set of clothes, a diaper and wipes if you need them, the boys can bring some toys, snacks, books, coloring book and crayons with them when we go somewhere. We bring it with us every time we leave the house and they will help me choose what to take. Nathaniel also enjoys carrying it on his back. It's not too big, so it's great for a little guy.

CAT Construction Vehicles

This was another great find at Costco. I think we paid around $30 for a set of 5 vehicles 2 Christmases ago. I haven't found a set of 5 anywhere online, so I think it was a special deal with Costco. You can find smaller sets or buy them separately. My boys still play with them daily 2 years later and it's the toy that all their cousins want to play with too when they come over to our house. I would highly recommend them. There are different classic CAT construction vehicles that come apart and the children put them together with the included screwdriver. It's great for fine motor skills, very educational and hours of fun.

Magnetic Alphabet

Nathaniel learned all his letters a long time ago with this useful toy. He often brings them into the kitchen while I am cooking and puts them on the refrigerator. He used to ask me what each letter was, but now he proudly tells me each one as he attaches it to the refrigerator, and even tells me words that start with that letter.

Sandbox

This pretty sandbox was the center of all entertainment at Nathaniel's 3rd birthday party. With a whole party full of toddlers, it was complete silence in our backyard when we set this up and let them all play with it. It was amazing. They were quietly playing for more than an hour. The boys spend hours digging in this sandbox. I like that it has a cover, so it protects the sand from the bugs, other critters and rain. (I think you might be able to find better deals on sandboxes in the spring/summer. We also found this set on sale for $40 in the spring.)

Bubble Machine

Most children love bubbles and a bubble machine is especially fun. We set this up for parties and all summer long in the backyard. The children love running after the bubbles and through them. It looks really cool too.

Art Supplies

My boys love to draw, color, paint, glue, etc. Getting new art supplies is always so exciting and they love it, even if it's the same things they've already had before. My particular favorites are the twistable crayons. They don't break as easily as traditional crayons, so they are perfect for toddlers. I like getting them new supplies on Christmas, like construction paper, coloring books, crayons, paint, markers, etc.

Books

Books are a huge staple in our house. We've been reading to the boys since they were little bitty babies. We read every morning when they wake up, multiple times throughout the day, and every night at bedtime. I often find one or both of the boys sitting on the couch or in the rocking chair reading a book by themselves and they request us to read to them all the time. We have a pretty big collection.

Here are some of our favorites:

• Children's Bible English
• Children's Bible Russian
• The Pout Pout Fish
• A Little Boy After God's Own Heart (There's a version for girls too)
• Winnie the Pooh (We have many of them, and they love them all)
• Corduroy(This one is their favorite of all. I've read this book to them more than all their other books combined.)
• Caps For Sale
• Little Blue Truck
• The Little Snow Plow
• I Am a Big Brother (We got this for Nathaniel when Josh was born, and both boys love this one to this day.)
• Blaze - Drive and Find (This is another one we read every day, along with Corduroy.)

Homemade Play Dough

Not only is this a great gift, it's also a fun activity to do with your children together. They can help you measure and pour the ingredients, mix it and pick the colors that they want the play dough to be. This is the recipe that I use every time. Why should you make play dough yourself? It's very inexpensive and the texture is so much better than any brand of store bought play dough that I've ever found. It's very smooth, doesn't dry out as quickly and isn't sticky either. I store them in these containers and they last for months. Every toddler I know loves play dough and doesn't get tired of it. I make it for my boys all the time, every few months after a batch has gotten too much use. I've made it as birthday party favors too.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.